The r/BillSimmons Podcast

Welcome to Episode #144! We bring on Reed to react to Sean's Netflix and AI comments and the overall Talk Easy pod with him and Amanda, and discuss their place at The Ringer, the general dynamics of calling out your boss, and whether they'd ever move on. We also predict the reaction on the next Rewatchables with Sean.We then contrast The Ringer with Barstool, including a discussion of why Russillo isn't working out there just yet. Barstool is much more open with inter-company drama and while we're not advocating for The Ringer to go full Barstool, the reaction to Sean's comments proves there's an interest in that type of content; we think The Ringer should lean in. The fantasy draft is a perfect example, and Van could play a critical role there as well. We also debate the best place to start one's career, The Ringer or Barstool.We then hit some more on the use of AI in an evolving media ecosystem. If you liked the pod, find Reed on Twitter @reedmalcolmj

Welcome to Episode #143! We bring on Ben for his third appearance (#133, #134). We start off on Bill's proxy betting scandal, which leads into a discussion of how the pod's become worse the more Bill talks gambling - the charm is gone and it's now much more commercialized.We next get into the Clippers situation, Pablo's big W, and break down Bill's fleeting support of Adam Silver - who went from "throwing a no hitter" to now Bill questioning his leadership of the league and plans for expansion, which Bill's done a 180 on.We grade Russillo's first year at Barstool, and assess where GM Bill and The Ringer front office should be looking to improve their sports bench. We also re-visit our Max Kellerman takes one year later and conclude he remains a sportscaster outside his element and that the Rich Paul pod is not working. We finish with a discussion of Bill's use and promotion of AI in his content. Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode #142! We bring on Gracie for her third appearance (#129, #121). We start off breaking down Chuck Klosterman's comments about The Ringer's impact on movie discourse - is he right abut how influential their podcasts have been on what it means to be a movie fan? We continue the conversation Bill & Chuck started and wonder if movies are having a moment, particularly in comparison to TV and books. We hit on some movie current events including Nolan, Nolan vs. Spielberg, the success of movies like Obsession and what's going on with Ryan Gosling and Will Ferrell these days.We next discuss the ESPN layoffs and current decrepit state of the network, touch on Tom Brady's bizarre post-retirement actions and talk LeBron's most recent decision and constant desire to be the center of attention. Next we run through Bill Simmons current events including his highly enjoyable guest appearance on Mina Kimes' pod, Bill getting more feisty on Twitter, and CR guest hosting the BS Pod, which leads into a discussion of whether Bill will actually retire one day.We finish up the pod discussing Dave Portnoy's recent book about the founding and rise of Barstool, which features commentary on Simmons, Pardon My Take, Call Her Daddy, the Chernin and Penn Gaming deals, and a lot of ESPN nonsense. Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode #141! We bring on Danny Funt, author of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling, for a highly informative and engaging discussion on the impact of legalizing sports gambling in the US.We start with Danny's motivations for writing the book, including how the main people involved haven't yet had to answer for the negative consequences of how prolific gambling has become. We next dive into mostly unknown but fascinating online sportsbook practices including betting VIPs and hosts (which just gained more prominence with the Bryce Harper FanDuel video), referral fees that are based on a percentage of a bettors' lifetime losses, extremely misleading "risk-free" sign-up bets, and how successful bettors are being limited by the apps. We also discuss the irony of how so many people are losing money gambling, yet the companies themselves aren't very profitable and so many have failed. Plus, Danny notes a key difference between US and international online gambling companies for why the US hasn't been as successful to date.We then get into Bill Simmons. In a chapter called The Media GoAll In, Danny details how powerful sports media has been in popularizing sports gambling; being a long-time BS Pod listener, Bill was the perfect person for him to focus on. We are both disappointed that, since Bill fancies himself as a truth teller who won't hold back, he's been conspicuously silent on the more nefarious aspects of the rise of sports gambling. Given Bill's love for gambling and particularly same game parlays, plus The Ringer's FanDuel contract, he's clearly benefitted financially by US legalization, which we absolutely think is affecting his content, such as weak takes on major gambling stories like Jontay Porter. We also hear feedback about The Ringer and Bill'srelationship with FanDuel from former employees, and about Bill's (pre re-apex) fall-off by those in the sports media industry.We finish up talking about the negative impacts on young people and how the rise of gambling is likely related to the current state of society, which is encouraging other (also well-marketed) high-risk taking activities such as crypto meme coins and prediction markets.If you enjoyed the episode, follow Danny on Twitter @dannyfunt and check out the book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Everybody-Loses/Danny-Funt/9781668062029

Welcome to Episode #140! We bring on Rebecca from Twitter to get the perspective of a relatively new Bill Simmons listener who came to his pod and The Ringer through their pop culture content. We hit on the recent Spielberg and Friedland pods as well as Bill's NBA Finals coverage, and assess the move to video pods for Netflix - no surprise they haven’t been attracting many viewers as has been recently reported. We also predict movie industry changes stemming from the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger, detail frustrations with streaming services and praise physical media.Next we dive into The Big Picture pod, including the intense online discussion of the show - especially with Disclosure Day - and decide if Sean himself and The Ringer in general are apexing. We also highlight a significant miss in their 25 Best Movies of the Century list. We then re-visit Bill's unpopular (but correct) Challengers take and celebrate his movie authenticity, including his love for The Devil Wears Prada. We touch on current movie events including Disclosure Day and Oscars results, and Rebecca reveals her take on why Timothee Chalamet gets too much hate. Enjoy!